Victoria, Kansas - City of Hays, KS

VICTORIA
Kansas
Home of one of the
8 Wonders of Kansas
History ∞ Faith ∞ Dining
Commerce ∞ Events ∞ Recreation
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STORE
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11 am- 8 pm
Monday-Saturday
Call:
785-735-9200
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VICTORIA, KS — EXIT 168
JuST SOuTh OF I-70
CONVENIENCE
STORE
Open 6:30 am - 9:00 pm
Sun - Sat.
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History
V
3
ictoria was founded as an English colony by George
Grant, a successful silk merchant and Scottish nobleman. He came to America in 1872 to explore the
vast open plains and found what he was looking for in the
great fertile prairies of Kansas. He envisioned the development of this region into a profitable agricultural and livestock
producing area.
He purchased an estimated 70,000 acres from the
Union Pacific Railroad in October 1872. This was land that
was mostly south of the current day community of Victoria.
When he returned to England, he carried out his plan of
selling large tracts of the land to men of wealth he knew in
England. He organized these British and Scottish noblemen
in preparations for the journey to America. They arrived
May 17 and soon began to build their new homes and
form a town he named Victoria, in honor of Queen Victoria
of England. The original town site was generally in an area
south of today’s railroad tracks and east of Main Street.
The town grew
slowly during the
next few years, but
two severe winters,
prairie fires, drought
in the summers and
other hardships
caused despair
A view of Victoria from the top of St. Fidelis
among the colonists Catholic Church in 1918.
and some returned
home to England. After the death of Grant in April 1878,
many more moved away, gave up on farming or returned to
England.
In 1876, Germans who were immigrating to Kansas
from the Volga River region of Russia, began to settle in Ellis
County. On April 8, 1876, a group from Herzog, Russia,
settled north and west of the town of Victoria on the east
bank of Victoria Creek. Another group of Germans from Russia arrived Aug. 3. These Germans were accustomed to the
hard work associated with farming and even though they
had many hardships with the rough winters, drought and
poor crops the first several years, their community continued
to grow. More Volga-German immigrants settled in Herzog,
and it became the largest and most important German-Russian colony in Ellis County. Eventually, Herzog and Victoria
grew together, officially becoming Victoria in 1913.
4
J
Profile
ust as the railroad had a major impact on the town’s
development, the completion of Interstate 70 in 1966
had a big impact on the physical development of
Victoria.
Founded in May 1873
For more than 30 years,
Population: 1,214
U.S. Highway 40 was
Elevation: 1,923 feet
the main east-west route
through Kansas, which
brought travelers right through downtown Victoria. With
the interstate connecting on the north end, development
began to move that direction.
Today, Victoria is a thriving and close-knit community
that is a typical Kansas small town with a handful of
downtown businesses, nice parks, quiet residential areas
and an outstanding public education system.
Because many of the residents are descendants of
Catholic Germans from Russia, much of the community life
centers around St. Fidelis Catholic Church, the main focal
point of the community. The elementary school is within
easy walking distance for many of the school children
and the high school is just down the street. The variety of
school events, sports and activities for the kids and families make Victoria a great place to raise a family.
Raindrops on a car windshield invert the towering spires
of St. Fidelis Catholic Church in Victoria.
Contact
the City of
Victoria:
1005 Fourth
(785) 7352259
skyways.lib.
ks.us/
kansas/
towns/
Victoria
Average annual temperature: 67
Average summer high temperature: 89.3
Average winter temperature: 30.9
Average annual precipitation: 23.45
Average annual snowfall: 16.7
Welcome to
Victoria
Welcome to the City of Victoria and all of the history this small
town settled by German/Russian immigrants has to offer. Please
feel free to look around at your leisure and watch for signs that
point to various attractions. Of course there is no sign needed
to find the pinnacle of history in our small city, the St. Fidelis
Catholic Church, sometimes referred to as the “Cathedral on the
Plains.” I would invite you to stop by City Hall if you have any
questions and the church offices for additional information. We
hope you enjoy your stay in Victoria. Please visit us often.
Curtis B. Unrein, Mayor
St.
Fidelis
Church
High School
1107 10th
785-735-9211
Grade School
602 10th
785-735-2870
Victoria Fire Department
1004 Fourth
785-735-9354
Victoria Police Department
1005 Fourth
785-735-9354
Victoria Family Healthcare Medical Clinic
208 Marc Wagner Drive
785-735-2627
Sites
6
George Grant Villa
2680 Grants Villa Road
(785) 621-2572; [email protected]
Hours: Drive-through tours available
Free admission
O
riginally a successful silk merchant,
George Grant
came to America in 1872
in search of a place to
build a country estate on
which to retire. What he
discovered was a new vision to turn the country into
a major agricultural and
livestock producing area.
In the fall of 1872,
Grant purchased an estimated 70,000 acres from
the Kansas Pacific Railroad George Grant
and then returned to England to organize a colony of British and Scotch noblemen. The group left England on April
1, 1873, with the necessary provisions, including several
head of black polled Aberdeen Angus bulls, a red shorthorn bull, 30 sheep and some horses. Upon their return
to the area, Grant named the new settlement after Queen
Victoria, and he and his companions began construction
on homes and town buildings.
Grant was the leader of the new colony and had
specific stipulations as to what types of homes were to be
built, livestock invested in and crops cultivated.
Billinger
Insurance
See us for your
Insurance Needs
Keith and Gladys Billinger
Supporting the Victoria
Knights
104 Ball Park Rd.
Victoria, KS 67671
785-623-3999
Sites
7
The four black Angus
bulls that were brought
on the journey became
the breeding stock to
cross with native Texas
longhorns. This produced
calves that survived well
on the winter range and
weighed more the next
spring.
Grant’s hope for his
country estate wasn’t
forgotten in all of this. He
had an English architect
design his villa, which he
built 5 miles south and 11⁄2 Grant Memorial.
miles east of Victoria. The
two-story home was constructed of native limestone that
was quarried near the site, and it was built atop a hill
overlooking Big Creek. The home featured a large double
door front entryway, open staircase, a study and wine
cellar in the basement. The villa became the center of social activities for the English colonists and was a comfortable residence for the Grant family during George’s final
years.
The villa was placed on the National Register of
Historic Places in 1973. Although there have been some
updates made
in the home, the
original structure
made of native
limestone is still
intact. Black
Angus cattle
even still roam
the pasture land
around the Villa. Grant’s house was built in 1873 and 1874.
The house
now is owned by Susan and Ron Legleiter, and the ranchland is owned by Susan’s parents,Paul and Lucy Baier.
Drive-through tours are available at the property.
It is their hope to preserve the memory of George
Grant and his contributions to the agricultural life of western Kansas.
Sites
8
George Grant Memorial
100 Angus Drive
(785) 735-2259
Hours: Sunrise to sunset
Free admission
G
eorge Grant
was the
founder and
leader of the English
colony of Victoria
and he brought the
first Angus cattle to
America in 1873.
George Grant Memorial site.
He was born in
Scotland in 1822 and died at his home south of Victoria
on April 28, 1878. He received worldwide recognition as
a successful silk merchant in London and gained considerable wealth in other well-timed transactions in textiles.
Near his grave is a monument that commemorates the
arrival of the first Aberdeen Angus cattle to America on
May 17, 1873. The Aberdeen Angus Breeders Association had a rededication ceremony May 17, 1973, and
added the replica of the Angus bull capping the monument. Improvements were made to this park in summer
2008 with trees planted, a lighted paved sidewalk and
benches added. On September 27, 2008, the American
Angus Association had a ceremony that unveiled the monument restoration, which also commemorated the 135th
anniversary of Angus cattle arriving in the U.S. and the
125th year of the American Angus Association serving the
beef industry.
BoB’s Custom CaBinets LLC
Robert Dinkel • Terry Dinkel
Beautifully Designed Custom Made Cabinetry
2557 spring Hill Rd.
Victoria, Ks
785-735-2497
1-866-810-0544
www.bobscustomcabinets.net
e-mail: [email protected]
Sites
9
English Cemetery
100 Angus Drive
(785) 735-2259
Hours: Sunrise to sunset
Free admission
T
his location on the
southeast edge of
town became the final English Cemetery
resting place for 18 Scottish and British pioneers who were some of the original
members of Victoria. They were part of the group of colonists organized by George Grant in 1873. Many of the
colonists were “Remittance Men,” who received monthly
allowances from back home in England or Scotland. They
were not accustomed to hard physical work and were
not too interested in the manual labor of building homes,
cultivating the soil and farming.
They found the pioneer life too extreme, and shortly
after the death of George Grant in 1878, many of these
noblemen returned back home to England.
Hays Welcome Center
27th & Vine • Hays, KS
(less than one mile south of I-70 exit 159)
800-569-4505
www.haysusa.net
Visit
Hays!
Free Coffee • Clean Restrooms
Free local, regional & state of Kansas maps
Over 200 tourist brochures
10
Sites
St Fidelis Catholic Church
900 Cathedral Ave.
(785) 735-2777; [email protected]
www.stfidelischurch.com
Hours: Open during daylight hours seven days a week
S
t. Fidelis is the
largest of the
historic churches in Ellis County
and is known as
the “Cathedral of
the Plains.” It was
built from 1908
to 1911 of native
limestone. This majestic church is built
in the shape of a
cross 220 feet long
and 110 feet wide
at the transepts, or
lateral arms. The
twin bell towers
are 141 feet tall
and can be seen
from miles around. St. Fidelis Catholic Church is pictured behind the
The church was
Capuchin Franciscan Friars Sculpture.
dedicated Aug. 27,
1911, and has a
seating capacity of
1,100. At the time
it was built, it was
the largest church
west of the Mississippi River. William
Jennings Bryon nicknamed this church
The interior of St. Fidelis is shown.
the “Cathedral of
the Plains” in 1912. It is listed on the National Register of
Historic Places.
Visitors are welcome. Free self guided tours 8 a.m. to
8 p.m. Guided tours available by appointment. It is an
active parish with weekend Masses on Saturday evening
and Sunday morning.
Sites
11
The First Church
Upon settling in Herzog, the Volga-Germans erected
a tall wooden cross in the heart of the village, where
they gathered on Sunday to recite the rosary and litanies
and sing hymns. It is estimated the first Mass was said in
April 1876. A few months later, the first church measuring 40-by-24 feet was built by attaching it to a parish
member’s home.
The Second Church
The first church only could accommodate half of the
church members, so the next year a second church was
started. It was made of stone and measured 60-by-30by-16 feet. The settlers, financially poor, contributed their
part by quarrying and hauling the stone. The church
was completed in 1878 and dedicated to the Mother of
Sorrows.
The Third Church
Father Anthony Schuermann, O.F.M. Capuchin,
pastor and a skillful builder, drew the plans for the third
church. He also supervised the construction between
1880 and 1884. This church measured 168-by-46by-35 feet and had a seating capacity of 600. Upon
completion, the name was changed to St. Fidelis, in
honor of a martyred priest of the Capuchin order.
The Present Church
Once again, the parishioners found themselves in
need of a larger church around the turn of the century.
This time, under the guidance of their pastor, Father
Jerome Mueller, O.F.M. Capuchin, it was decided to
build a spacious and
artistic church
that would
be a worthy
house of God
for present and
future ages.
Adjacent to
St. Fidelis is
St. Fidelis is pictured before 1951.
the Capuchin
monastery, also built of native stone nine years prior to
the present church.
In 2008, the Cathedral of the Plains was designated
one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas by the governor.
12
Capuchin Franciscan Friars
Sculpture
900 Cathedral Ave.
(785) 735-2777
www.capuchins.org/stfidelis.
html
T
Sites
o meet the spiritual needs
of the German speaking
immigrants from Russia
who arrived in this area in
the late 1870s, the Catholic
Capuchin Franciscan Friars
Diocese established the Capu- Sculpture
chins in Ellis County to serve as
priests for the new communities. The St. Fidelis Friary, located in what then still was named the town of Herzog,
was established by Father Mathew Hau, O.F.M Capuchin, and Father Anastasius Mueller O.F.M. Capuchin.
The statue on display in front of St. Fidelis Catholic
Church was sculpted by Hays artist Pete Felten and was
dedicated July 28, 1976.
Sites
13
Iron Crosses
St. Fidelis Cemetery
1600 Cathedral Ave.
(785) 735-2777
Hours: Sunrise to sunset
A
s you drive
south of
Interstate
70 toward Victoria on Kansas
Highway 255,
you will notice
something unusual
looking on the
east side of the
road about a ¼
Iron crosses are shown in the St. Fidelis Cemetery.
mile north of town.
There are 110 iron cross
grave markers that stand
out among the traditional
stone monuments in the
St. Fidelis Cemetery.
Because wood was
available and less
expensive than granite
or marble, the first burial
A detailed look at an iron cross.
markers for the VolgaGerman pioneers were simple wooden crosses. However,
with the strong Kansas winds, storms and problems with the
wood rotting, some of the local Volga-German blacksmiths
began to craft wrought iron crosses. These iron cross grave
markers proved to be more durable, and by using scrap
metals in their shop, the men could make these crosses
rather inexpensively.
Although the techniques used by the blacksmiths varied
from community to community in Ellis County, many of the
crosses were made of twin steel pipes bent and joined to
form the main structure of the cross and rounded off with Ushaped joints. Metal lattice work was created and welded
between the pipes. The coils were made from a soft rod
clamped into a vise and turned to fit a particular pattern.
The decorative inserts were twisted rods or thin flat metal,
and the hearts were cut from tin and welded in place.
14
Volga-German Immigrant Statue
10th & Cathedral Ave.
(785) 735-2259
Hours: Sunrise to sunset
Free admission
Sites
A
cross the street
from St. Fidelis Catholic
Church is a life-size
statue depicting German immigrants from
Russia. This piece
was sculpted by Hays
artist Pete Felten in
1976 and is titled
Volga-German Immigrant Statue
“Volga German Family.” It is made of Silverdale limestone that was shipped
from Arkansas City, Kan. The commemoration of the
statue took place in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the Volga-Germans arriving in Ellis County.
• All-risk crop insurance
• Crop hail insurance
• Farmowners Insurance
Jason N. Kippes
1261 350th Ave.
Box 50
Victoria, KS 67671
Work: 785-735-9485
Cell: 785-735-4938
[email protected]
Sites
15
Historical Landmark
Old U.S. Highway 40
& Ball Park Road
(785) 735-2259
Hours: Sunrise to sunset
Free admission
T
his historical marker is
Historical Landmark.
dedicated to the two
groups of settlers who were the early pioneers of Victoria. In 1873, there were the well-to-do gentleman farmers
from England who established the town of Victoria. They
did not have the endurance or interest in the farming way
of life, and many eventually moved back home to England.
In 1876, Germans from Russia arrived and built dugouts
and sod houses north of the English colony. They proved
to have the hardworking spirit needed to be successful on
the harsh Kansas prairie. The English brought with them the
first Aberdeen Angus cattle and bob-tailed ponies, and the
Volga-Germans brought with them hard winter wheat and
their strong religious faith.
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Mon.-Fri. 7am-5pm & Sat. 7am-12pm
785-735-9730
Cell: 785-735-4438
102 Ball Park Rd. Victoria, KS 67671
e-mail: [email protected]
www.wildcatpump.com
16
Interstate 70
Victoria
2
1
N
Cathedral Avenue
6
10th Stree
5
7
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Attractions
Original Cemetery
St. Fidelis Cemetery and Iron Crosses
Victoria Golf Course
Victoria High School
Victoria Grade School
Volga-German Immigrant Statue
St. Fidelis Catholic Church
Capuchin Franciscan Friars Sculpture
8. Honey Braun Park
Union Pacific Caboose
9. Swimming Pool
10.City Hall
11.George Grant Memorial
English Cemetery
12.Historical Landmark
13.Union Pacific Cemetery
George Grant Villa
5 miles south,
11⁄2 miles east
Third
Stre
13
Old U.S.
17
Surrounding Communities
Walker — 4 miles east
Vincent — 7 miles south
Pfeifer — 9 miles south
Hays — 9 miles west
Catharine — 7 miles north
3
4
et
Main Street
8
10
th
our
F
12
East Main Street
Highway 40
et
Stre
West Main Street
eet
9
11
Sites
18
Union Pacific Caboose
603 Iron
(785) 735-2259
Hours: Sunrise to sunset
Free admission
I
n the late
1980s,
Union Pacific
Railroad Co.
phased out
many of their
cabooses on
their trains, and
the community
of Victoria was
Union Pacific Caboose, located in Victoria City Park
selected to
receive one.
Tony Weigel, a Victoria native who worked for UP in
Kansas City, began the process of having Union Pacific
donate one of their cabooses instead of just letting it rust
away in one of their yards.
In late 1989, UP sent the caboose to Victoria along
with all the paint numbers and new decals so city employees could restore it back to its original bright yellow
color.
The paint scheme for Union Pacific is still one of the
oldest original paint combinations used by a major
railroad. Armour yellow is the main paint color with red
lines, white, black and harbor mist gray used on other
parts of the caboose.
On March 21, 1990, the caboose found a new
home in Victoria City Park. Lots of people came out to
watch the move and see how they set it up in the park.
Hubert Sanders was the mayor at the time and had the
moving company weld the wheels to the short length of
track to prevent any accidental movement.
Victoria City Liquor
1100 HWY 40 • Victoria, KS
Open daily & Sundays Noon-5 p.m.
785-735-2626
Sites
19
Union Pacific
Gravesite
Third Street and Old U.S.
Highway 40
(785) 735-2259
Hours: Sunrise to sunset
Free admission
T
his is the gravesite of Union Pacific Cemetery
six railroad workers
killed by Cheyenne Indians on Aug. 1, 1867. The
workers had detached themselves from the main work
camp and were unarmed when surprised by Indians. Historians disagree on the exact location where the attacks
occurred outside of Victoria, but a little known fact is there
were actually seven workers attacked and killed on that
day. One worker survived long enough to make his way
to the Fort Hays military post, but later died of his wounds
and was buried at the fort. The known graves at the fort since have been relocated. The other six workers were buried at this gravesite.
Proudly Supporting The
Rich History Of Victoria, KS
George Grant Villa
Moritz & Catherine Robben Baier occupied the
house from 1897 to 1935. William and Elizabeth
Dreiling Baier occupied the villa until 1972. Paul
and Lucy Shippers Baier lived there from 1972 until
2008, when they retired to Hays. The home was
then occupied by a grandson, Jason Pfeifer, who
lived there until 2011. The Villa is now owned by a
daughter, Susan, and her husband, Ron Legleiter.
Drive-through tours are available.
Events
20
Fidelisfest — Memorial Day
Cathedral of the Plains, 900 Cathedral Ave., Victoria
(785) 735-2777; [email protected]
www.stfidelischurch.com
M
emorial Day in Victoria is a community celebration at the St. Fidelis Catholic Church fundraiser.
The morning begins with visits to the five local
cemeteries — Emmeram, Walker, Pfeifer, Vincent and
Victoria — followed by an 11 a.m. Mass at the Church.
After Mass, the festivities begin with a German weddingstyle dinner served until 2 p.m. The Country Store features
homemade baked items and a gift shop includes crafts
and handmade items by the parishioners.
Throughout the day are free kids’ games, musical entertainment, a beer garden, hamburger and brats stand.
A drawing with cash prizes and an auction of 200 to
300 new items are donated by businesses and parishioners. Proceeds are used to maintain the church, which
was named one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas.
Your home town lumber dealer
with your complete line of
building needs.
Jim & Becky Scheck, Owners
Jared Scheck, Asst. Manager
East Hwy. 40
Victoria, KS 67671
785-735-9215
785-735-9228 (Fax)
Events
21
Herzogfest — August
Honey Braun Park, Victoria
(785) 735-4851; [email protected]
www.herzogfest.com
C
elebrate the
German
heritage of
this Volga-German
community with
polka music, concerts, parade, talent
show, free swimming, food booths,
kids’ pedal pull and
fireworks show.
Event features free
entertainment Friday
and Saturday
night with national
Joe Dolezal, center, and Galen Schmidtberger
recording artists
perform polka music during the 29th annual
and local bands.
Herzogfest in 2011 at Victoria City Park.
Saturday includes a
5K run/walk, parade, traditional German welcome and
toast, horseshoe tournament, bingo, pinochle, beer and
food booths, polka music, German singers, talent show
and fireworks.
Food booths include fried noodles and beans, cream
dumplings, brats, bierocks, German sausage, galushkies,
kuchen, green bean dumpling soup and much more.
Saturday afternoon polka Mass at 4 p.m. is a traditional
Catholic service with polka music and German singers.
The event is free and open to the public.
Victoria Homecoming — September or October
Victoria High School
(785) 735-9211; www.victoriaalumni.com
A
n annual celebration bringing Victoria High School
alumni back to town during a weekend in September or October. A bonfire, parade, high school
football game, golf tournament, pep rally and barbecue, and memorial Mass and banquet also take place.
Awards are given to select alumni.
22
Dining
255 Convenience Store & Diner
2601 Cathedral Ave.
(785) 735-9200
Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday
[email protected]
T
he 255 Convenience Store is
located just south
of Interstate 70 at the
Victoria exit on the west
side of Kansa Highway
255. This location
features three services
255 Convenience Store and Diner
for the traveling public
— a clean and friendly convenience store, fueling station
and diner. The diner serves everything from burgers and
reuben sandwiches to country-fried steaks and livers and
gizzards. Alcohol is served, along with lunch and dinner,
from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
provides many interior and exterior home improvement products.
• Vinyl, Steel & Concrete Board
siding & trim
• Window & Door Replacement
• Seamless Steel Gutter
• Patio Covers
• Decks, Fencing and Railing
• Tile and Laminate Flooring
• Remodel Projects
• And So Much More
Locally owned and operated with over 50 years combined experience
Licensed & Insured
Experience the Top Notch Difference-- “Top Notch” service with competitive pricing.
Victoria, KS 67671
Terry Klaus - 785-735-4826 • Daryn Burns - 785-623-8538
[email protected] • www.topnotchimprovementks.com
Dining
23
Gambino’s Pizza
201 E. Main
(785) 372-1627
Hours: Daily 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 8:30 p.m.
[email protected]; www.gambinospizza.com
G
ambino’s
Pizza has
been part
of the Victoria
community for
more than 20
years. It first
opened in 1991
at a location on
West Main Street
that used to be
Pizza is served at Gambino’s Pizza in downtown
a small bar and Victoria.
grill.
In 2003 and under
new management, it
moved to its current
location on East Main
Street. Gambino’s is
part of a franchise system with more than 50
locations in five states.
Dine in, carry out
and delivery are avail- Gambino’s Pizza
able. The Victoria Gambino’s Pizza is also part of the
group of restaurants under the same ownership in Hays,
La Crosse and Hoisington. Pizza, pasta, calzones, salad bar and sandwiches are available, and Gambino’s
features an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet every Sunday,
Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Large enough to accommodate buses, school groups,
sports teams, and group seating is available.
Total Convenience
106 W. Main
Victoria, KS 67671
(785) 735-2821
24
Dining
The Library Bar & Grill
1102 Third Street
(785) 735-2839
Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; grill
closes at 8 p.m.
[email protected]
T
he Library
is the
place in
Victoria to get
some great
tasting fresh
hamburgers,
weekly specials
and a variety
of other menu
items hot off
The Library Bar & Grill
the grill. For
many years during the 1940s
and ‘50s, Victoria
residents would
come to the red
brick building on
Third Street to see
the doctor and have
their prescriptions
filled at the drug
Diners enjoy a meal at The Library.
store. The office of
Dr. Anderson was located here, and a soda fountain and
drug store was operated by his brother Leon.
Through the years, there were other businesses including a pizza place and a bar. Ilona Patterson and her
husband, Ted, bought the building in 1983, made a few
improvements and turned it into a restaurant that now
provides Victoria with a unique bar and grill atmosphere.
Lunch and dinner are served Tuesday through Saturday
with menu items in the $5 to $10 range including salads,
egg rolls, seafood, steak sandwiches, gizzards, mini
tacos and their famous hamburgers and cheeseburgers.
Customers enjoy grabbing a book or magazine off the
shelf and reading while waiting for their meal. It has free
Wi-Fi hookup and is a local hangout for all ages.
Commerce
25
N xcess
Third and Main
(785) 735-4809; [email protected]
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday
through Saturday or by appointment
J
an Piesker has been collecting
things for years and years and
now is selling her “excess” in this
old warehouse building. There’s a
little something for everyone including
dresses, kitchen cabinets, dressers,
copper and brass items, garden pots
and furniture, sofa tables and more.
In addition, Piesker has reconditioned These old artillery
many items that are for sale. The shop buckets have been transformed to drawers.
is a “fun little pastime” for Piesker.
Smoky Hill Meat Processing Inc.
108 Ball Park Road
(785) 735-2278; [email protected]
Hours: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday; 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday and Friday
T
his is a family owned
and operated slaughter
and meat processing
facility that has been providing quality service and
meat products since 1998. In 2005, they added the
retail area to sell the variety
of ready-to-eat products
Work continues at Smoky Hill Meat
they make, such as beef
jerky, snack sticks, summer Processing.
sausages and smoked cheeses. The frozen meat selection includes cuts of beef, chicken and pork, as well as
products made at the store — brats, breakfast sausage,
liver sausage and bacon.
Smoky Hill Meat Processing also has contacts with
local farmers who sell 1⁄4, ½ and whole beef or ½ and
whole hogs to fill your freezer with some great tasting
locally owned fresh meat. Smoky Hill Meat Processing
also can process deer or other wild game.
26
Commerce
St. Fidelis Church Gift Shop
601 10th Street
(785) 735-2777
Hours: 8:30 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday; and
1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday
T
he St. Fidelis gift
shop is located in the
parish office building across the street to the
north of the church. Various
religious items and St. Fidelis souvenirs are for sale,
including prayer books,
the church centennial DVD A number of items are available.
and cookbooks. “Sharing
Our Best Cookbook,” is a collection of more than 1,300
recipes of Volga-German, Russian, German, and other
ethnic recipes, German prayers and helpful hints. The book
is in its fifth printing with more than 12,000 copies already
sold. For more information, visit www.StFidelisChurch.com.
N xcess
Featuring:
• Restored Furniture
(we buy and sell)
• Antiques
• Clothing
• Shoes
• Accessories
• Unique Decor
Items
301 3rd & Main (Behind the Fire Station)
785-735-4809
Open Mon.-Sat. 9 to 5 or By Appointment
[email protected]
Commerce
27
Victoria Food & Variety
1104 Third Street
(785) 735-2929
Hours: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 11
a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday
A
clean and modern small-town grocery store where
you will be greeted with a “smile and hello” and
with friendly service, high quality foods and great
prices. Along with groceries, there are items such as
washclothes, rugs and candles. DVDs also are available
for rent.
Victoria Lumber Co.
1200 Old U.S. Highway 40
(785) 735-9215; [email protected]
Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday;
7:30 a.m. to noon Saturday
O
wned and
operated
by the Jim
Scheck family since
February 2006,
this unique small
town store features
not only the building products and
hardware you typi- Victoria Lumber Co.
cally would find at
a lumber company, but because they are the only place
in town to purchase many household, lawn, garden and
other supply items, they stock an assorted inventory to
help local residents find what they need. After the previous owner, Everett Braun, died of cancer, Jim and his
son Jared took over the store and it became a true family
operation with help from Jim’s wife and another son
Justin helping out as well.
Victoria Lumber Co. features an old-fashioned CocaCola pop machine where it’s still only 45 cents for a
can of soda. There is always free fresh popcorn popping everyday, and visitors are welcome to stop by,
browse around, ask for directions or find out what is
going on in the community.
“ A family
tradition since
1960”
1919 E. 22nd
Hays, Kansas
785-628-8822
412 Main
Victoria, Kansas
785-735-9224
Historic Lightworks
Sale, Repair and
Restoration of
original vintage
lighting and other
architectural
antiques.
Victoria, KS 67671
785-735-4453
[email protected]
Commerce
29
Historic Lightworks
2567 Golf Course Road
(785) 735-4453; [email protected]
Hours by appointment
T
his unique
business is
located in
a historic dairy
barn that operated as the
town’s dairy for
many years.
The owners reside next
door in a beau- Historic Lightworks operates out of a barn.
tiful limestone
house built in
1903 of the
Queen Anne
style of architecture.
At Historic
Lightworks,
they have the
largest antique
lighting selecA variety of antique lighting is available.
tion in the state
with more than 2,000 antique light fixtures and more
than 3,500 original shades.
Visitors will see light fixtures from pre-electric gas
fixtures from the 1880s to 1900s and early electric lighting from the 1900s to 1940s. Learn about lighting and
fixtures from a simple barn light or lamp, to lights that
came out of the State Capitol in Topeka.
They sell, repair, rewire and refinish antique light
fixtures and gas and electric fixtures from the 1880s to
the 1940s.
Some of the variety of lights include ceiling lights,
chandeliers, wall scones, barn lights, desk lamps, floor
lamps and other antiques and architectural items.
To arrange a visit or see the large inventory, call
(785) 735-4453.
30
Recreation
Honey Braun Park
603 Iron
(785) 735-2259
Hours: Sunrise to sunset
Free admission
T
his 10-acre
park was
established
in 1949 when
Wendelin J. Braun
and his wife,
Loretta, donated
the land to the city
of Victoria with
the stipulation it
always would be Honey Braun Park
used as a park.
It was named the Honey Braun Park honor of W.J.
“Honey” Braun, who was the mayor of Victoria from
1971 to 1975. W. J. Braun was involved in the community.
In 2002, the city of Victoria received a grant for
a complete park renovation. The grant money, along
with a match from the city, was used to make several
improvements to the park, including the addition of a
modern shelterhouse that is lighted, has three electrical
outlets and picnic table facilities that can accommodate
80 to 90 people. The playground equipment has two
separate age-appropriate play areas, six slides, climbing and agility features, recycled tire mulch under the
play areas, connecting sidewalks, and is landscaped
beautifully.
The park also has horseshoe pits, and with the natural
sloping terrain toward the middle of the park, it creates
a scenic amphitheater setting created by Mother Nature.
This park is used for the concerts during Herzogfest.
Victoria Municipal Swimming Pool
603 Iron
(785) 735-2387
Hours: 1:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. daily during the summer
Admission: $1 for 5 to 15 year olds; $1.75 for 16 and
older; summer passes available
If the lights are on, we are open for business!
Guaranteed hours: Mon. - Sat. 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sunday - 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
We are so much more than
Just a grocery store!
•DVD&VHSRentals
•Toysforthekids
•Pop&Snacks
•AndofcourseGroceries
1104 3rd St. • Victoria, KS 67671
785-735-2929
UNITED AG SERVICE
Gorham • Galatia • Lucas • Hoisington • Olmitz • Victoria
Proudly Supporting
Victoria, Kansas
and serving the area
for 98 years.
785-637-5481
Gorham, Kansas
E-mail: [email protected]
Your agricultural partner for the
21st century.
The Gorham
State Bank
Proud to Serve our
Community!
Over 100 Years
Strong!
Deposit Accounts
•Personaland
BusinessChecking
•SuperNow
•MoneyMarket
•Savings
•Certificatesof
Deposit
•IRA’s
•Debit/CheckCards
Loans
•Consumer
•RealEstate
•Commercial
•Agricultural
•HomeLoans
Other
•Cashier’sChecks
•NotaryServices
•ForeignCurrency
Main Location
129MarketStreet
P.O.Box199
Gorham,KS67640
Branch Location
408MainStreet
P.O.Box199
Victoria,KS67671
Lobby Hours
9:00amto4:00pm
MondaythruThursday
9:00amto6:00pmFriday
Lobby Hours
8:00amto4:00pm
MondaythruThursday
8:00amto5:30pmFriday
Drive-Thru Hours
7:30amto4:00pmMondaythruThursday
7:30amto5:30pmFriday
24 Hour Drive-Thru ATM & Night Depository
24 Hour Access
Online Banking & Online Bill Pay
www.gorhamstatebank.com